Learning to Breathe
by tutorgirl323
Summary: Nathan and Haley are forced into marriage by their wealthy parents. Updated 4.13.06
1. Default Chapter

Summary: Nathan and Haley are forced into marriage by their wealthy parents. 2.11.05

A/N: I've had this idea for a while, but finally decided to start it. I know it shouldn't take place in 2005 if they are out of high school, but I didn't feel like figuring out years, which would be more confusing. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Prologue

Haley James was not a typical rich girl. Her parents are two of the wealthiest people in Tree Hill, North Carolina, but she didn't think that much of it. They lived in a huge house with maids, cooks, and chauffeurs. Haley still had gone to public school and was planning on attending Duke in the fall. Senior year had just ended. She never really had any relationships during high school; she was always too busy studying. She works at her best friend's mother's café. She has worked there since she was a freshman.

Her best friend is Lucas Scott, son of Karen Roe and the town's favorite bastard, Dan Scott. Dan left Karen when he found out she was pregnant. A few months later, he got Deb pregnant too, but married her. Their son, Nathan, has always been an enemy to Lucas and so in turn he was also an enemy to Haley. Lucas and Nathan rivaled each other in basketball, the town's pride sport. They were both going to Duke on basketball scholarships.

Nathan Scott was a typical rich boy; he loved spending his parents' money. His parents were the other two wealthiest people in Tree Hill, North Carolina. They lived in the huge house next to the James' house; they too had maids, cooks, and chauffeurs. Nathan was always driving the newest models of sports cars from his dad's dealership. He never had serious relationships with girls; usually they were just hook-ups. He was a jock and a jerk, with one of the biggest egos you could find.

One day in June, 2005…

Haley walked into her house, coming home from work.

"I'm home," she yelled to her parents, even though they probably weren't there.

"We're in the living room Haley," she heard her father, Jim James, yell. She walked into the living room and saw both of her parents sitting on the couch.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Your father and I need to talk to you," her mother, Lydia James, said.

"Okay, what is it?"

"We need to tell you something and you're probably not going to like it," Jim said.

"You're getting married," Lydia finished for him.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the prologue and continue to read. If you have read 'Polaris' you probably know that I tend to leave at cliffhangers. Please reply and I will update soon, I will be updating 'Polaris' tomorrow, and this too if I get the replies. I will take either good or bad replies; just let me know what you think.


	2. Don't Worry Baby

A/N: Thanks for the replies, here's chapter one.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Don't Worry Baby

"_You're getting married"_

"What do you mean I'm getting married?" Haley asked.

"You're getting married at the end of the summer," Lydia said.

"How am I getting married!" Haley yelled.

"You are of marriageable age and you haven't had a serious relationship, so we arranged it for you," Jim explained.

"I can find my own guy to marry when I fall in love," Haley told her parents.

"You haven't yet, so we are choosing for you. We want you to find an acceptable husband, not some lower class ass," Lydia replied.

"You need to marry someone with good breeding, so we talked to our friends and they agreed that their son should be married too, so we have arranged it," Jim continued.

"Do I even know this person! This is wrong and unfair. None of my brothers and sisters had to do this!" Haley yelled.

"They were all in good, proper relationships by now," Lydia said.

"You should know him; do you remember Dan and Deb?" Jim asked.

"Who could forget the world's biggest bastards," she said under her breath.

"What was that?" Lydia asked.

"Nothing," Haley replied. "Yes I remember them."

"You will be marrying their son, Nathan," Jim told her.

"WHAT!" Haley screamed. "I hate Nathan, I won't marry him."

"You don't even really know him, he is a pleasant boy," Lydia said.

"No he's not, he is one of my worst enemies, and I'm Lucas' best friend. I can't do that to him," Haley said. "I won't marry him."

"You don't have a choice, Haley. This is a choice we have made for you. If you don't go through with it, you cannot live here and we will not pay for your college," Jim told her. Haley didn't make enough money to survive on her own or go to college with.

"Fine, but I won't be happy. Does he even know yet?" Haley asked, knowing she really had no choice.

"He should be finding out soon, your engagement party is tomorrow night," Lydia said.

"Tomorrow night? You mean I'll have to pretend to be happy with him tomorrow night?"

"Haley, give him a chance. I'm sure you'll love him eventually. Now go upstairs and rest, you have a busy day tomorrow."

"And Haley, don't worry baby," Jim said as if it would be easy for her.

At the Scott's house…

"Nathan come downstairs, we need to talk to you," Deb called up the stairs.

"What is it?" he asked as he sat on the couch across from his parents.

"You're getting married at the end of the summer," Dan told him.

"Right, how am I supposed to find a wife by the end of the summer? I don't do relationships," he said as if they were joking.

"We're not joking Nathan, and we've found one for you. You need to be with someone acceptable, and you should have been engaged by now. Haley is a lovely girl, I'm sure you'll love her," Deb explained.

"Haley? Haley who?" he asked.

"Haley James, she lives next door. I think you may have met her a few times."

"I'm not getting married, especially not to a girl I don't know. You can't make me."

"Yes we can and we are," Dan said. "You can't survive without our money."

"Your engagement party will be held here tomorrow night, so you two will at least have to get along then. You're going to be meeting with the wedding planner tomorrow, so be ready by eleven o'clock."

"I can't believe this," Nathan said as he walked up the stairs to his room.

At Haley's house…

Haley had called Lucas to come over and he just arrived.

"So what's up Hales, you sounded upset on the phone?" he asked as he sat down on her bed.

"Have you ever heard of an arranged marriage?" Haley asked him.

"Yeah, some cultures have people get married that don't even meet before the wedding," he said," that's pretty harsh."

"Yeah, well some cultures have people married that you hate," Haley said.

"What are you talking about Haley?"

"My parents have arranged for me to be married at the end of the summer," she cried.

"Why? You're too young to be forced into marriage."

"It gets worse," she said.

"How can it get worse, it's not like you're marrying Nathan," he joked. Haley's cries got heavier. "Oh my god, you're marrying Nathan?"

"I hate my parents, I told them I hate Nathan, but they're going to take away everything from me. I have to go to college, but if I don't do this I won't be able to go."

"Why do you have to marry Nathan?"

"He's of good breeding, I can't marry someone from the lower class," Haley said using air quotes and imitating her mother.

"That's a load of crap. Does he want to do this?"

"I don't know I haven't talked to him. My engagement party is tomorrow night at their house, so you better be there. It's formal so make sure you have a suit and a good tie."

"I think I can find one, and I'm only going for you. I don't want you to have to suffer with him alone."

"Thanks Luke, you're the best."

"I know, now lets do something fun and take your mind off of this."

Well its been building up inside of me  
For oh i don't know how long  
I don't know why  
But i keep thinking  
Something's bound to go wrong

But she looks in my eyes  
And makes me realize  
And she says "don't worry baby"  
Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby  
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby

I guess i should've kept my mouth shut  
When i started to brag about my car  
But i can't back down now  
I pushed the other guys too far

She makes me come alive  
And makes me wanna drive  
When she says "don't worry baby"

Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby  
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby

She told me "baby, when you race today  
Just take along my love with you  
And if you know how much i loved you  
Baby nothing could go wrong with you"

Oh what she does to me  
When she makes love to me  
And she says "don't worry baby"  
Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby  
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby  
Don't worry baby

A/N: Hope you like the first chapter. Please reply even if you hate it. The song was "Don't Worry Baby" by the Beach Boys. I wanted to use "Don't Worry, Be Happy" but I couldn't find the lyrics. This song came up when I searched for it.


	3. Are You Gonna Be My Girl?

A/N: Thanks for the replies.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 2: Are You Gonna be My Girl?

The next morning…

Nathan knocked on the James' front door, and after a minute a maid answered.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm here to pick up Haley," he told her.

"Come in, I'll go get her," the maid said and walked away. A few minutes later Haley came out from the same direction the maid had just gone.

"Hi, I'm Nathan," he said and held out his hand for her to shake.

"I know, and I'm Haley," she said, not shaking his outstretched hand.

"Okay, so are you ready to go?" he asked, noticing she was very unhappy with the arrangement.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," she said and walked out the door. He followed her and opened her car for her. "You know, you don't have to pretend you actually want to do this."

"What makes you think I'm pretending?" he asked her.

"You're Nathan Scott; you don't like to settle down you like to hook up with girls. Why would you want to marry Haley 'tutor girl' James?"

"You think you know me so well."

"I know you're an ss and that you treat my best friend like crap."

"Who's your best friend?" Nathan asked.

"Lucas Scott," she answered.

"Well I guess he's not too happy about this arrangement either?" he asked.

"He hates the idea, but knows I'm only doing it because I can't pay for college with the money I make at the café."

"Is that the only reason?" he asked pretending to be hurt.

"I'm sorry, did I deflate your ego a little?" she said pretending to care. "Besides, I bet you're only doing it to keep your money too."

"Not exactly, but you don't really know me. After we get to know each other I bet you'll be happier and maybe even like me."

"I doubt it, but I can try."

"That's all I'm asking, did I mention that you look beautiful yet today?" he asked. She was wearing a cute sun dress and her hair was down.

"No, and thank you. Now let's go plan a wedding," she said as they approached the café where they were meeting the wedding planner, Ashley. They walked in and saw her sitting at a table; they went and sat across from her.

"So I think we should start with colors," she said after they had all greeted each other and ordered some food. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Blue and white," Nathan said.

"We're not going to have blue and white just because they're your basketball colors," Haley said.

"Well what do you think they should be?" he asked.

"I think pink," she said.

"That's such a girly color though," he complained.

"How about pink and yellow?" Ashley suggested, "That's not as girly and it's actually common."

"I like that idea," Haley said. "What do you think?"

"That sounds better, we can do that. I like yellow."

"Great, now that colors are picked, we can do invitations. I see that you already have a date," she said.

"We do?" Haley asked.

"Yes, your mothers told me that the date is Saturday, August 20, 2005. Is that right?"

"I guess," Haley said.

"Okay, so we can pick an invitation and then I found out all of the places where the wedding can be held on that date so we can go look at them."

"Okay, I like this one," Nathan said as they flipped through the book. "What do you think?"

"I actually like that one too," Haley answered.

"Perfect, that was easy," Ashley said. "Do you have any ideas for a place?"

"I don't want to get married in a church," Nathan said.

"I don't either, it seems too traditional. I want to do it differently," Haley said surprised that they were agreeing so much.

"Well why don't you follow me in your car and we can check out some of the other places," she said and got up from the table. They were driving to a park when all of a sudden Haley gasped.

"Pull over," she said to Nathan. He pulled over after honking the horn at Ashley to let her know he was pulling over.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"The beach," she said pointing to the beach.

"What about it?" he asked confused.

"We should get married on the beach. It's perfect, it's different and it's the summer so it will still be nice!" she exclaimed. Nathan rolled down the window and Ashley was standing there.

"Is it possible for us to get married on the beach?" he asked her.

"Sure, is that what you want to do?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered her.

"I'll make the arrangements, now we'll go to the bridal shop and pick out tuxedos and dresses and then we'll be done for today."

"Okay," Haley said. "Are you sure it's okay to have it on the beach? Because we can do it somewhere else if you want," she told Nathan as they were driving to the bridal shop.

"Its fine and I want it to be special for you."

"You're really surprising me, you're actually being sweet."

"I told you I wasn't all bad, I can be nice." Nathan found a tuxedo quickly, but Haley tried on a million dresses before finally finding the perfect one. She then picked out bridesmaid dresses quickly.

"My mom said we aren't allowed to go home until four and we have to go to the house next door to mine," Haley said after they were finished.

"So we have an hour, that's good because there's someplace we have to go," Nathan told her as they pulled into the parking lot of the mall.

"Why are we at the mall?" she asked.

"You'll see," he said and held out his hand for her to take. He was surprised when she actually took it and they walked into that mall and then the jewelry store. "Pick any ring you want, you need an engagement ring."

"Any one?" she asked. He nodded, and after a few minutes she picked the one she wanted. He paid for it and then led her back out into the mall.

"We said we're not going to be traditional so I'm not going to do the whole get down on one knee thing. I'm just going to ask you; Haley James, are you gonna be my girl?"

"Yes, I am," she said and he put the ring on her finger.

_So 1, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me  
because you look so fine  
and I really wanna make you mine._

_I say you look so fine  
that I really wanna make you mine._

_Oh, 4, 5, 6 c'mon and get your kicks  
now you don't need that money  
when you look like that, do you honey._

_Big black boots,  
long brown hair,  
she's so sweet  
with her get back stare._

_Well I could see,  
you home with me,  
that you were with another man, yea!  
I know we,  
ain't got much to say,  
before I let you get away, yea!  
I said, are you gonna be my girl?_

_Well, so 1, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me  
because you look so fine  
and I really wanna make you mine._

_I say you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine._

_Oh, 4, 5, 6 c'mon and get your kicks  
now you don't need that money  
with a face like that, do you._

_Big black boots,  
long brown hair,  
she's so sweet  
with her get back stare._

_Well I could see,  
you home with me,  
that you were with another man, yea!  
I know we,  
ain't got much to say,  
before I let you get away, yea!  
I said, are you gonna be my girl?_

_Oh yea. Oh yea. C'mon!  
I could see,  
you home with me,  
that you were with another man, yea!  
I know we,  
ain't got much to say,  
before I let you get away, yea!  
Uh, be my girl.  
Be my girl.  
Are you gonna be my girl! Yea_

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, I made it longer since Ihaven't updated lately my computer has been wonky. The song is "Are You Gonna be My Girl" by JET. Please reply and I'll update soon.


	4. There Will Come A Day

**A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated, I just went to post the newest chapter of this when I realized I never posted chapter 3 or 4. Please review if you're still reading, good or bad, I like constuctive criticism. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, I don't own One Tree Hill or the song in this chapter.**

**Chapter 3: There Will Come a Day**

It was now four o'clock and Nathan and Haley had just arrived at the house where they were meeting Deb and Lydia. They walked inside and saw that the house was empty and their mom's were just talking.

"Hey mom, why are we here?" Nathan asked.

"We have a surprise for the two of you," Deb answered.

"Okay, what is it?" Haley asked still confused as to why they were standing in the middle of an empty house.

"The house," Lydia answered.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"This house is yours, we left all of the rooms plain except the bedroom so you can decorate," Deb said.

"Why not the bedroom?" Haley asked.

"Well, when we went shopping we saw this bedroom in a catalog and thought it was so great so we had them put all of the stuff from the picture in the room and they painted it too," Lydia explained.

"Why don't you two go look around and come back in a little while?" Deb said.

"Okay, we'll be back in a little while," Haley said and she and Nathan walked out of the room. The entire house was plain just like their mothers had said. When they finally got to the master bedroom they looked inside and it was completely done.

"Wow," Nathan said as they looked around.

"Yeah wow, this looks like it was done on one of those home decorating shows like 'Trading Spaces' or something," Haley said. The walls were a dark shade of red. There was a king size bed with a black comforter and the curtains were also black. The room was huge and had a separate part with arm chairs and a day bed with a small table. There was a television and the closet was huge. There was also a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub in it that was also completely done. When they went back downstairs their parents were waiting.

"So what do you think?" Deb asked.

"It's really nice, is it bigger than our house?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, it's bigger than our house. Did you like your bedroom? We thought it looks very romantic," Deb answered.

"Yeah, it is very nice. So are we going to be gradually moving our stuff in and decorating until we get married or just doing it all then?" Haley asked.

"Actually you'll be living here starting tonight and moving your stuff in tomorrow," Lydia told them.

"What?" Haley asked. She didn't think they'd be living together so quickly.

"We thought it would be a good idea for you to live together now so you can get to know each other better and be more comfortable together," Deb said.

"Once you're settled in and start school you'll have a maid and a chauffeur," Lydia added.

"Haley, you didn't tell us what you thought of the third floor," Deb said.

"We didn't see the third floor, there's a third floor?" Haley asked.

"Yes, why don't we all go up there now, I think you'll both love it," Lydia replied. They made their way up two flights of stairs and made it to the third floor. They saw a small hallway with a door on each side. First they went to the left and saw a lot of work out equipment.

"Why would I love a gym so much?" Haley asked.

"Well the gym is for both of you, but we figured only Nathan would like it. The other door is for you," Deb said and they opened the other door. There was different types of equipment in there.

"What is this?" Haley asked surprised at what she saw.

"This is your very own recording studio. I know you love to sing and play piano and guitar so we built you a studio," Lydia answered.

"You sing?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, I play guitar and piano to," she answered. There was a piano, keyboard, and a guitar all sitting in the corner. There were two sides of the room and the side with all of the controls had a little resting area with a couch.

"Do you like it?" Lydia asked.

"I love it," she answered and gave her mom and Deb each a hug, "Thank you."

"We put your make up in your vanity area of the closet and both of your outfits for the party are there too. We're going to go get ready and you can get ready too. After the party you can each pack a bag of stuff for overnight and then come back here," Deb said.

"We'll see you at six," Lydia said and they walked out.

"I think you should sing for me," Nathan said.

"Maybe tomorrow," she said, "I don't usually sing in front of people."

"Why not now?" he asked, "I really want to hear you, you must be good if your mom had a studio built for you."

"Fine, I'll play one song," she said and sat down at the piano, "but you asked for it."

"Yeah, I did." She started playing.

_It's not easy  
Trying to understand  
How the world can be so cold  
Stealing the souls of man  
Cloudy skies rain down  
On all your dreams  
You wrestle with the fear and doubt  
Sometimes it's hard, but you gotta believe_

_There's a better place  
Where our Father waits  
And every tear  
He'll wipe away  
The darkness will be gone  
The weak shall be strong  
Hold on to your faith  
There will come a day  
There will come a day_

_Wars are raging  
Lives are scattered  
Innocence is lost  
And hopes are shattered  
The old are forgotten  
The children are forsaken  
In this world we're living in  
Isn't anything sacred_

_There's a better place  
Where our Father waits  
And every tear  
He'll wipe away  
The darkness will be gone  
The weak shall be strong  
Hold on to your faith  
There will come a day  
There will come a day_

_Song will ring out  
Down those golden streets  
The voices of earth  
The angels will sing  
Every knee will bow  
Sin will have no trace  
In the glory of His amazing grace  
Every knee will bow  
Sin will have no trace  
In the glory of His amazing grace  
There will come a day  
There will come a day  
Oh, there will come a day  
There will come a day  
I know there's coming a day  
Coming a day_

**A/N: I hope you liked the new chapter, the song was "There Will Come a Day" by Faith Hill. Please reply, I have another couple chapters to post if people are still reading.**

**Stephanie JJ**


	5. Belief

**A/N:Thank you for all the reviews, I am so sorry for not updating this story,I never realized that I didn't post this chapter on this site.**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing.**

**Chapter 4: Belief**

Nathan and Haley stood in the middle of the Scott's living room being congratulated again on their engagement by yet another person whom they did not know. Finally, after at least an hour, they began to see faces of people they knew.

"Hey tutor girl and Nate, what are you two doing together?" Brooke asked as she and Peyton walked up to them. Haley has been friends with Brooke and Peyton since freshman year, but they were now like best friends ever since Brooke started dating Lucas.

"So who is this party for?" Peyton asked, ignoring Brooke's question.

"Yeah, all my parents said was that we had another formal party to go to and that it was for an engagement," Brooke added.

"Lucas didn't tell you?" Haley asked.

"No, why? Is he here? He usually isn't invited to these things because he's not 'of the upper class'," Brooke said. Her parents hated the fact that she was dating him.

"How would he know anyways?" Peyton asked. "What's going on?"

"The party is for us," Haley told them.

"Who is 'us' Haley?" Peyton asked. "Last time we checked you weren't even dating."

"Me and Haley are engaged," Nathan said.

"Haley and I," Haley corrected him as Brooke and Peyton stood there shocked.

"You two hate each other," Brooke said finally getting over the shock.

"How can you be engaged, we're not even in college yet?" Peyton asked.

"Our parents thought that we are both of marriageable age and we need to marry within our 'class' so they set up an arranged marriage," Nathan explained.

"How did you ever agree to that, Hales?" Peyton asked.

"Let's just say it was more forced than arranged," she answered.

"Why didn't you tell us when we saw you on Thursday?" Brooke asked.

"We just found out yesterday," Haley said. Lucas walked up from behind them and only Brooke noticed.

"Hey Broody," she said getting Haley's attention to Lucas. She turned around and gave Lucas a hug.

"I've been waiting for you," she said.

"Sorry Hales, I couldn't find a good tie," he said. Brooke gave him a kiss and then he wrapped his arm around her as they broke apart.

"So why didn't you tell me about this when I saw you earlier?" Brooke asked him.

"We didn't exactly do a lot of talking, did we Cheery?" he asked. She shook her head no.

"Luke, I really didn't need to hear that," Haley said and Nathan laughed.

"Okay, can we talk about something else?" Peyton asked.

"So how did the wedding planning go? I see you're both still alive after spending the day together," Lucas said and Haley laughed.

"Why wouldn't we be alive, I wouldn't hurt Haley," Nathan said.

"I wasn't worried about Haley, I figured she may have killed you," Lucas said and Haley laughed.

"I was good, I didn't cause any blood shed although I almost tried when he wanted the school colors as our wedding colors," Haley said.

"The school colors are a good color; that's what I would have said too," Lucas said.

"Guys," all three girls said at the same time. They're such typical guys, only thinking of basketball and sex.

"What colors did you decide on, and where is it going to be?" Brooke asked.

"We decided on pink and yellow for our colors," Haley said.

"And we're getting married on the beach," Nathan continued.

"The beach? That's so cool, you can get a tan while you're getting married," Brooke said.

"We didn't want to be traditional, he even 'proposed' in an untraditional way," Haley said using air quotes when saying proposed because they were already engaged when it happened.

"I want to see the ring," Brooke said and Peyton grabbed Haley's hand.

"Oh my god, it's gorgeous," she said.

"While you girls drool over the ring I want to talk to Nathan for a minute," Lucas said.

"Okay be nice, we're trying to keep the party 'non O.C.' and not have a big fight that ends up with people landing in the pool," Haley said and they walked into another room.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Nathan asked.

"I just want to tell you that if you ever hurt Haley I will kill you," Lucas replied.

"You wouldn't have to, I'd probably do it myself first."

"She's like my little sister and I don't want to see her hurt," Lucas said.

"I won't hurt her. I never really noticed her before, but now I don't know why because she's a really great person. I'm trying to change and I don't want her hurt either," Nathan explained.

"Good, Haley's really special so treat her right because she deserves the best."

"I know she doesn't deserve me, but I'm going to try to do the best I can with her."

"I know Haley will kill me for saying this, but she's not the kind of girl that goes around and sleeps with guys so don't pressure her into anything. Sex is a really big deal with her."

"I won't pressure her into anything she isn't ready for; I promise you and myself that."

At the same time…

"So you don't seem that unhappy about this," Peyton said.

"Last night I was really upset but then I spent the day with Nathan. He was actually sweet and he seemed different than he was at school and we're getting to know each other. He's not that bad," Haley explained.

"That's good, maybe eventually you will love him and not just be forced to love him," Peyton replied.

"Yeah but it will probably take a while," she said and the boys came back in.

"No punches were thrown, I see," Brooke said.

"No, we were civil," Lucas said.

"I love this song," Haley said as the DJ began to play 'Belief' by Gavin DeGraw.

_Belief makes things real  
Makes things feel, feel alright  
Belief makes things true  
things like you, you and I_

"Would you like to dance?" Nathan asked her. She nodded and took his hand as he led her to the dance floor where a few couples were dancing. They started to sway with the beat of the music.

_Tonight you arrested my mind  
when you came to my defense  
with a knife in the shape of your mouth  
in the form of your body  
with the wrath of a God  
Oh you stood by me_

"You look beautiful tonight," he whispered in her hair. She was wearing a black and pink dress and her hair was in an up-do.

"Thank you," she said and blushed. _'Nathan Scott is making you blush, stop Haley, you can't be falling for him yet'_ Haley thought to herself.

_Belief builds from scratch  
doesn't have to relax  
It doesn't need space  
Long live the Queen  
and I'll be the King  
In the color of grace_

"So what did Lucas talk to you about?" Haley asked.

"You," he answered.

_Oh tonight you arrested my mind  
when you came to my defense  
with a knife in the shape of your mouth  
in the form of your body  
with the wrath of a God  
Oh you stood by me, Belief_

"What did he say about me?" she said worried hoping he didn't embarrass her.

"He said that if I hurt you then he would kill me."

"Oh," she said letting out a breath of relief.

"And then I said that if I hurt you I would do it for him because I don't want to hurt you," he said and she was surprised.

_I'm gonna yell it from the roof tops  
I'll wear a sign on my chest  
that's the least I can do, it's the least I can do_

"Why would you care if you hurt me? Until yesterday you never even paid attention to me."

"And now I realize that was a mistake," he said sincerely.

_Tonight you arrested my mind_

_When you came to my defense_

_With a knife in the shape of your mouth_

_In the form of your body_

_With the wrath of a god _

_Oh you stood by me_

"I never knew you could be so sweet," she said and smiled.

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Now that we're living together maybe I'll learn."

"I hope so because there's a lot I don't know about you either."

_Tonight you arrested my mind_

_When you came to my defense_

_With a knife in the shape of your mouth_

_In the form of your body_

_With the wrath of a god _

"So we made our appearance and we were here for a while, how about we head out in a few minutes?" Nathan asked.

"Okay, this party is pretty boring and I don't really know anyone," Haley responded.

"Me either."

_Oh you stood by me_

_And I'll stand by my_

_Belief_

The song ended and they walked back over to where Brooke, Lucas, and Peyton were standing.

"We're going to go home," Haley said to them.

"Isn't this your house Nathan?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, but our parents bought us a new one and they told us to stay there tonight and move everything in tomorrow," he answered.

"Where is it? We can help you move your stuff in," Brooke said.

"It's the one on the other side of my house," Haley replied.

"I guess your parents didn't want you to go away," Peyton said laughing.

"Yeah, they had no problem letting my siblings scatter across the country as soon as they were eighteen though," she said.

"Let's go, we'll see you guys tomorrow," Nathan said and they left.

**A/N: I hope you liked the new chapter, please reply and I will update again soon!**


	6. Bedtime Conversation

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I worked on this chapter for a long time, trying to make it really good, so I hope you like it. Please review after you read, even if you don't like it, just so I know someone's reading. I love constructive criticism. Also, I know it's unrealistic that they like each other so quickly, but I have a hard time writing people as hating each other. Think of this as one of those 'love at first sight/only happens in the movies' type things. I know I wouldn't last too long being mad at someone if they were as hot as James Lafferty.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything **

**Chapter 5: Bedtime Conversation**

A few minutes later, Nathan and Haley had said goodbye to everyone else and then went home. They were both exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. They were both changed for bed and were now sitting on the couch talking, when Haley yawned.

"You should go to bed, you look tired," Nathan said.

"Thanks, a girl always likes to hear she has huge bags under her eyes from a man," she replied.

"I didn't mean it like that," Nathan said trying to defend himself, not noticing her sarcasm.

"I was kidding. You look tired too. We should get to bed, you'll need you're energy tomorrow."

"Oh really, you have some plans for us?" Nathan joked.

"Men," Haley sighed, "you all have such perverted minds."

"I know, we're moving in to the house," Nathan laughed, "are you going to help move the boxes in?"

"Nope, 'a woman never carries her own boxes'; at least that's what my mother says. I think she'd kill me if I tried to move anything, or your mother would do it for her."

"I think they may have hired movers, which is ridiculous since we live right next door."

"Yeah, well let's just get some sleep," Haley said as she sat down on the bed.

"I can sleep on the couch if you want," Nathan offered and Haley was surprised.

"No, it's okay. We might as well get used to it," she said.

"You don't snore do you?" he asked jokingly.

"No, do you?"

"Not that I know of," he replied and turned off the light. He got in the bed on the opposite side of Haley and they both lay down.

"So have your opinions about me changed since yesterday?" he asked hoping she'd say yes. He knew the marriage would be so much easier if they could be civil towards each other and he was actually starting to like the idea of being with her. She was such a nice and beautiful girl, different from any of the whores he had dated or hooked up with in the past.

"Actually yes, you surprised me today," she answered and he was relieved.

"How did I surprise you?"

"You weren't as much of a jerk around me as you are around other people; it seems like you actually care when you are around me."

"I do care," he said sincerely.

"Why?" she asked him, clearly not expecting him to care.

"I want this to work between us, I think we could be good together, and I like you."

"Why do you like me?" Haley said shocked. No boys had ever liked her except for Mouth when they were ten years old. She was always thought of as 'tutor girl', a nerd that only hung out with the boys. How did Nathan like her when he had only known her a day?

"You're different. You're not afraid to be who you are, and you're pretty. That helps too," he answered and she could tell he was being sincere.

"Thanks, you're pretty too," she said laughing.

"I was being serious and you ruined it by laughing, and I prefer not to be called 'pretty'."

"I'm sorry, how about hot?" she asked, laughing again.

"Are you drunk?" he asked finally noticing how giggly she had become.

"Maybe a little," she said holding up her fingers making a sign that looked like a little bit.

"I was with you almost the whole night and it didn't look like you had that much, how much champagne did you have when I was gone?" he laughed at her. Even though it was dark he could see her on her side of the bed trying to count on her fingers how many she'd had.

"I don't remember," she said still giggling.

"You should sleep, sober up for tomorrow."

"Okay, fine," she said and rolled over to her side of the bed further.

"Goodnight," he said and rolled to his side.

The next morning Haley woke up with a pounding headache. She felt a pair of arms wrapped around her and was surprised to see Nathan behind her, still asleep, with his arms wrapped protectively around her. She also surprised herself by not trying to break the embrace, but trying to snuggle up closer to Nathan.

After about five minutes Nathan woke up. He realized his arms were around Haley and she was awake. He quickly pulled away.

"Sorry," he said, rolling to his side of the bed.

"No, it's okay," she said while pulling him back to her. He was surprised by her actions.

"Are you still drunk?" he asked, confused and wrapped his arms back around her.

"I was drunk last night? Cause I don't remember. I remember bits and pieces from the night. Dancing, coming home, calling you pretty."

"Yeah, you had a little too much champagne."

"That could be the reason I have a pounding headache," she stated.

"Do you want me to go see if I can find some aspirin in our bathroom?" he asked and went to get up.

"No, stay here," she said pulling him back down to her.

"Why?" he asked, still surprised that they ended up together without her pulling away and not letting him up.

"I don't know, but I just get this safe feeling when you have your arms wrapped around me. I could possibly get used to waking up like this every morning, minus the headache."

"Are you sure you don't want me to find you something? I'm sure there is something in the bathroom."

"No, I'm okay."

"Okay, and by the way, I like having you in my arms too," he said and smiled at her. "I could get used to it too." She smiled back at him. Somehow as the time over the last two days passed, she hated him less. She knew that if Nathan kept acting like he had been towards her, the marriage would be definitely bearable. Over time, she might even fall in love with him.

"What time are our parents and the movers coming over?" Haley asked as she rolled over to face Nathan, her face even with his chest and resting there.

"Noon," Nathan replied. "It's ridiculous; we're only moving our clothes and stuff. We don't even have furniture, but we have movers."

"When are we going to pick out furniture and colors for the house?" Haley said excitedly. She always liked looking at furniture and matching colors to design rooms. She was thinking of going into interior design for a major in college, but she wasn't sure.

"Maybe tomorrow?" Nathan replied. "Do you have any ideas yet?"

"Maybe I have a few ideas; do you have any specific colors you want?" Nathan started to answer, but Haley cut him off, "besides your basketball colors."

"Not even one room of my colors?" Nathan said with a pout.

"The gym can be in your colors, how about that?" Haley bargained. She had never been very fond of the color blue.

"Fine, as long as we don't have a whole house full of pink."

"Definitely not, I don't even really like pink that much, it's so girly."

"Then why did you want a pink wedding?" Nathan asked chuckling and confused.

"I just have always pictured myself having a pink and yellow wedding. I saw one in a magazine once and I liked it."

"What colors do you want to have in the house?"

"Well, I was thinking for the living room maybe yellow walls with a deep red color for furniture and trim and stuff, and then the opposite for the family/TV room," Haley said and Nathan could tell she probably had most of it planned out already.

"Okay, that sounds nice. Now what about the kitchen?" Nathan asked, knowing she probably knew what she wanted, but he didn't care, as long as she was happy with the house and he got his blue and white gym. They continued to talk about colors for the house for a few more minutes when the finally noticed the time.

"Crap, it's 11, we need to get up," Nathan said after looking over at the clock.

"I don't want to get up," Haley whined and snuggled herself further into Nathan's embrace.

"People will be here in an hour. You don't want them to come up here and find us still in bed, do you?"

"No, I guess not."

"Okay, why don't you go take a shower and then I'll take a shower while you're getting ready?" Nathan suggested knowing women always took longer to get ready than men, at least the ones he'd dealt with before had always been that way. Haley finally got up and took an outfit into the bathroom.

While Haley was in the bathroom, he continued to lay on the bed and think. Haley looked so beautiful that morning, even with her hair all messy and no make up, she looked great. She seemed to be warming up to him, and for that he was thankful. He knew they had both been reluctant to go into this marriage, but he was trying to make the best of it. He knew she had hated him from the start because of his actions towards Lucas. The truth was he didn't really know Lucas, he just knew that his father wanted him to hate him and that he could possibly take over his spot on the basketball team. Basketball wasn't as important to him as it was to his father. He loved to play, and thought it would be great to continue to play in college, but he couldn't see himself in the NBA playing for a living. He wanted to do something else with his life, possibly a doctor for a sports team, but he wasn't sure yet.

Haley came out 15 minutes later towel drying her hair. "Your turn," she said as she smiled at him and Nathan got up and went into the bathroom. Haley sat at her vanity, which had already been set up with a few new lip glosses and eye shadows when they moved in, and started to apply a small amount of make up.

While she sat there she began to think about Nathan. She thought about how nice he had been to her, even though he probably went into the relationship just as reluctantly as she had. He was not his, what she considered 'normal' self with her, he was kind and charming. She could definitely see this marriage working if he stayed the way he had been, the fact that he was hot as hell helped a bit too. Maybe he never really had been that mean, she just always perceived him to be based on what she had heard from other people. Maybe his hatred towards Lucas was only based on his father's actions. Now she'd get to know how he really was, and maybe that wasn't so bad after all.

**A/N: So not too much really happened in this chapter, just some new nicer feeling revealed. I think this was a pretty well written chapter for me, it definitely took me long enough to write. Please reply if you are still reading this, I promise to_ TRY_ to be better at updating. The next story I'll update will be Daddy's Blue Eyes and Mommy's Auburn Hair which is also a Naley story I've been working on. Please review and I hope you liked the chapter!**

**Stephanie JJ**


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